Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland or a surprise name? Picking the UEFA Champions League golden boot contenders

For a long time, it felt as if the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League was something of a foregone conclusion with either Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo sitting atop of that particular tree each year. However, in the past few seasons, we have seen a number of different names and last year two new players shared the award. Who will take the accolade this year?

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What do more games mean? That’s right kids, more goals!

With two extra games in the UEFA Champions League this season due to the new format – and the possibility of play-off games – there is every chance that we see Cristiano Ronaldo’s single-season record of 17 goals from the 2013-14 season broken in 2025.

By contrast, last season the top scorer award was shared by then-PSG star Kylian Mbappe and England captain Harry Kane in his first season at Bayern Munich. The pair scored eight goals each, together less than Ronaldo in that incredible season.

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Whilst in the past, for the most part, it felt like a two-horse race between Ronaldo and his eternal rival Lionel Messi, the current battle at the top has mostly been a bit of a three-way one, with Mbappe and Kane joined by Manchester City’s Norwegian machine Erling Haaland.

Ahead of the new Champions League season – which you can watch live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - we run through some of the contenders for this year’s golden boot. Will one of the new 'big three' take the crown? Or could a new name spring a surprise?

Erling Haaland

So let’s start with the big Norwegian. It seems incredible to think now, but there were legitimately some people questioning whether he had peaked or been found out after a slightly less productive 2023/24 season.

Of course, any season compared to the previous year, where he literally broke the record for most goals in a Premier League season, is going to be considered less impressive, but he still scored 27 goals in the league and won the golden boot.

Well, it looks like Norway failing to qualify for the European Championships will be Manchester City’s gain – and everyone else’s pain – with Haaland already having scored seven goals in his first three Premier League games.

It’s hard to imagine that City or manager Pep Guardiola will be satisfied with just one Champions League medal to show for the Catalan’s spell in charge of the club, and you have to think that they will be going all out to win another.

With no Julian Alvarez this season you almost wonder whether Guardiola might start adopting the tactics of Zinedine Zidane when the then-Real Madrid boss began resting Ronaldo at intervals after Christmas to keep him fresh for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

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Kylian Mbappe (or Vinicius Jr) (or Jude Bellingham)

Speaking of Real Madrid and goalscorers…

For the most part, when you are picking a list like this, you are looking at teams you think will do well and can make an impact, and within those teams the clear No. 1 goalscorers.

With Real Madrid you might as well grab a dartboard because it’s just really difficult to figure them out right now.

Mbappe scored on his debut in the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta and then failed to score for the next three games before netting a much-needed brace against Real Betis in La Liga before the international break.

As many predicted, it has not been a seamless integration, with Mbappe, Vinicius and Bellingham (who has been injured) all wanting to occupy similar spaces on the pitch. It also seems at times they are taking too many passes before trying to score. Why? Who could say? One thing for certain is that these three, and Rodrygo, are all elite footballers with one of the best managers in the history of the game on their side.

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Harry Kane

Harry Kane is undeniably one of the best goalscorers in Europe and he has shown no problems adjusting to playing in Germany; if anything, the Bundesliga’s winter break can only be a good thing as he enters the twilight of his career.

The problem for Kane, and Bayern Munich, is that we still just don’t know enough about them under new manager Vincent Kompany. In two Bundesliga games so far, they have beaten Wolfsburg and Freiburg, but in both games it was far from convincing and their opponents could realistically have felt as if they should have taken a point off the Bavarians. Are these just early teething problems? Or a worrying longer-term sign? We just don’t know yet.

What we do know is that with Jamal Musiala looking irresistible and new signing Michael Olise starting strongly, Kane will always get service. For Kane, it’s not whether he will score - that is never in doubt. The real worry is whether Bayern will stay in the competition long enough for him to have a shot at this title.

Harry Kane of England looks on during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League B Group B2 match between Republic of Ireland and England at Aviva Stadium on September 07, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland.

Image credit: Getty Images

Robert Lewandowski

If we don’t know enough about Bayern Munich and Vincent Kompany, it is fair to say we have a bit of a better idea about one of their former managers, Hansi Flick and his new side Barcelona.

Flick has moved Barca to a clear 4-2-3-1 structure with new signing Dani Olmo playing as the No. 10, and Raphinha operating in a curious left-wing/second No. 10/third central midfield hybrid role. The idea seems abundantly clear: move the ball quicker and get it towards Robert Lewandowski.

The results? Four goals in four games for the Polish superstar. You can’t ask for more than that. Can this translate onto the European scene, where Barcelona have really struggled recently? We will have to wait and see, but Lewandowski should be a real player in this race this season.

Robert Lewandowski scores

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Mohamed Salah

We can’t stress this enough: averaging a goal a game in a top European league is incredible. It’s just hard for someone like Salah (who has three goals in three games) when you have a freak of nature like Haaland in your division.

However, what we have seen so far from Salah under new manager Arne Slot is encouraging. Like Haaland, he has clearly benefitted from a summer off to recharge and there is an element of “Last Dance” about this, given how openly he is speaking about a lack of contract offer from the club with his deal up in the summer.

The only real worry is the goal spread. Are players like Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez taking enough goals away from Salah that he isn’t seriously in the race? He has shown in the past that he laughs at people’s concerns about goal-share with his fellow attackers, and maybe he will prove us wrong again.

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Lautaro Martinez

This one is a bit of a swing before we get to two real wildcards. Martinez hasn’t actually scored this season, while his striking partner at Inter, Marcus Thuram, has four already.

So why isn’t Thuram here instead of Martinez? It’s just historical. Martinez is the defending Capocannoniere (top scorer in Serie A) and had a strong Copa America. Also, last season, Thuram excelled playing the supporting role for Martinez, and it seems reasonable to expect that he will resume that role when Martinez is fully firing.

Inter were one of the most disappointing teams in the Champions League last season after reaching the final the year prior. They are still clearly the best of the pack in Italy, but can they get back to previous heights in Europe? That could be a question that ends up defining Simone Inzaghi’s reign.

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Viktor Gyokeres

The first real wildcard, although fans of Sporting CP would probably argue that the Swede should be a true contender. Fourty-three goals in 50 appearances in all competitions last season cemented Gyokeres as the best striker you aren’t watching on a regular basis. Gyokeres' rise has been nothing short of meteoric, and it’s hard not to imagine him making a huge move next summer providing he can keep this up.

In previous years, we might not have included Gyokeres in the list, but the two extra games, as well as the increased likelihood of a team like Sporting reaching the play-offs, makes him attractive as a prospect in this race. Like other players in this list, Gyokeres is the entire focal point of his team and with Paulinho having left to join Deportivo Toluca in Mexico, this feels like the kind of season where the entirety of Europe will sit up and take notice.

Ollie Watkins

Watkins had a stellar season last year as well as a good summer showing with England. It’s easy to bet against him and Aston Villa as one-season wonders, but at the same time, it’s not inconceivable that they do to European teams what they did to the Premier League elite last season.

Like Gyokeres, Watkins is a profile of striker who will always cause problems and should always score consistently. The question is whether their efforts last season have the tanks empty for him and Villa. If not, don’t be surprised to see them make a real impact.

'What a header!' - Watkins opens scoring for Villa with wonderful effort

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Thoughts?